Understanding the Significance of Social Institutions in Society

Dr. Sumitra Sharma Assistant Professor Department of Sociology MLSU, Udaipur

Institutions are the building blocks of society, which made society, fulfills social needs and maintains social order. Institutions are not an individual concept it is a social concept. Social institutions are helps to maintain social order and social existence. It is mainly fulfills the social needs. It simply means the complex set of social norms, beliefs, values and role relationship that arise in response to the needs of society. Society is the subject matter of sociology and society is made out of social institutions like family, marriage, caste, religion, education etc

MacIver and Page define social institution is the established forms or conditions characteristics of group activity. Robertson defines an institution is a stable cluster of values, norms, status, roles and groups that develops around a basic social need. Horton and Hunt define an institution is an organized system of social relationship which embodies certain common values and procedures and meets certain needs of the society. Institutions have norms to regulate the behavior of individuals and help to fulfill the social needs like, family, marriage, religion etc. of procedure

Social institutions are the inevitable part of society and individual, which has certain features i.e.:- Institutions are means of satisfying specific ends, which are basic and vital for the continued existence of a society. Institutions are the sources of prescription of rules. It provides certain rules for behaving Institutions are neither Individuals cannot see the institutions but they can experience it. Institutions are the symbols which expresses certain lifestyles so it is the cultural symbols. visible nor tangible.

Social institutions although in different forms are found in all societies in all times in primitive and modern societies. Institutions are not individual phenomena. It is exist among group so they are social phenomena. Institutions are set of norms or rules which act as the controlling mechanisms. Institutions are relatively permanent: The sudden changes are not commonly reflected in social institutions. Institutions are interrelated: All institutions are related to each other. Family, marriage, caste, kinship, religion etc. are related to each other for maintenance of social order. Social institutions are the established forms of norms and rules. Society cannot exist without social institutions. It helps to maintain social order. It also helps to social growth and capable to become a welfare society.

The main function of any institution is that it satisfies certain human needs. These needs can be follows:- Emotional needs Economic needs Familial needs Political needs

Social institutions have certain function in society which helps to the smooth functioning of society. Institution helps to maintain social order and social welfare Institution helps to social growth Institution works as a control mechanism Social institutions are the inevitable part of society Institution controls social interaction of individual